Juve zapped at home as Atalanta breaks hoodoo
Juventus fell further off the pace in Serie A on Sunday (AEDT) as it slipped to a 1-0 home defeat against Atalanta, Duvan Zapata scoring the decisive goal for the visitors.
Massimiliano Allegri's side was thumped 4-0 by Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday (AEDT) and was unable to respond with a victory at Allianz Stadium.
Zapata netted the decisive goal midway through the first half, taking advantage of sloppy Juve defending to hammer home his ninth league goal of the season.
Paulo Dybala was inches away from rescuing a point in stoppage-time with a wicked free-kick that hit the crossbar, but Juve ultimately suffered a fifth league defeat of the 2021-2022 campaign.
Earlier, Dybala's 10th-minute effort straight at Juan Musso punctuated an aggressive start from Atalanta, which twice went close in the opening stages, and it was the visitors who struck in the 28th minute.
Berat Djimsiti's pass caught Juve's defence napping and, having been played onside by Matthijs de Ligt, Zapata lashed a thumping effort in off the bar.
Dybala spurned a swift chance to respond, though Juve could easily have been two behind by the break had Matteo Pessina capitalised on Wojciech Szczesny's dreadful clearance.
Juve was dealt a further blow by an injury to Federico Chiesa, who did not return for the second half, and it was not until Leonardo Bonucci played in Weston McKennie before the hour that it crafted an opening.
Djimsiti was on hand to block the midfielder's path to goal, with McKennie suffering a knock in the process, ending his involvement in the match.
Musso did brilliantly to steer Adrien Rabiot's effort beyond the post soon after, while Bonucci headed well wide from a corner.
Atalanta wanted a penalty for Juan Cuadrado's clumsy block on Mario Pasalic, and Juve had a late chance to make their fortune count when Zapata fouled Federico Bernardeschi.
Dybala's free-kick had Musso beaten, but the woodwork ensured Atalanta claimed a first league win at Juve since 1989.
Juventus sits eighth in Serie A, 11 points adrift of league leader Napoli and second-placed AC Milan, both of which play on Monday (AEDT). Atalanta, with this triumph, moved seven points above Allegri's men and is fourth.
